Road salt is not just an eastern thing. In BC they pre-treat roads prior to snow falls or freezing rain. The back of my Burb is covered in what looks like crystallized salt. It will not dissolve in fresh water and a jet at the car wash will not take it off. I spent the morning trying to wash it off with hot water and a few cleaners. No luck. I think they have experimented with different brines and I might have had the bad luck of getting a bad one on my vehicle. Anyone have the same experience?
Dissolving Road Salt off paint
- Thread starter Snagglefoot
- Start date
Sounds like something etched into the clearcoat. Salt dissolves in water.
Its a mixture with dirt etc. use carsoap and a decently warm bucket of water 80f?
FWIW even the high pressure wands in the car washes wont get everything off you need something to physically remove the crud from the paint and into the soapy water.
They mix our brine here with the toxic fracking water... because yea someone must have got paid off.
its considered toxic waste but its ok to make brine with and spray on the roads???
FWIW even the high pressure wands in the car washes wont get everything off you need something to physically remove the crud from the paint and into the soapy water.
They mix our brine here with the toxic fracking water... because yea someone must have got paid off.
its considered toxic waste but its ok to make brine with and spray on the roads???
Yes, I think dirt is stuck to the clear coat with that goo.
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Keep it wet a long time to dissolve the maximum that you can. Spray it with water to get as much off as you can, touchless. Gently wash with hot detergent water. Clay bar it, folding and discarding it frequently to minimize scratches. Dry it and assess whether you need paintwork (clearcoat?) or just a good polishing sealant to slow down it getting worse. If it needs paint you still want the sealant after a few weeks of curing, then that muck will come off easier next time.
Thanks. Here are some close up photos. If I rub an individual spot with a wet finger it will dissolve. Some of the “ skid marks” are from a wet sponge I think.
Might have to. I couldn’t dissolve any of it. I used car wash detergent and warm water and scrubbed with a micro fibre cloth. I could easily feel every small “ dot” and could pick it off with my finger nail. I scrubbed as well as I could with the micro-finer cloth and got a goodly amount off. There are still some particles left.
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I would ask the local roads maintenance crew what the F this is? and then ask how to remove it without causing an environmental event.
JHZR2
Staff member
If a wet finger will dissolve it, then there’s no reason water shouldn’t. Unless your water has a LOT of minerals in it.
Look into marine products like Salt Away. They may help a bit. Otherwise a pre-foam, then a light wash using a porous grout sponge and a high soap ratio wash, then spray-away with a pressure washer.
Look into marine products like Salt Away. They may help a bit. Otherwise a pre-foam, then a light wash using a porous grout sponge and a high soap ratio wash, then spray-away with a pressure washer.
I recall talking with a truck driver from Main Road, the company that has the contract. The use several types of brines. Here’s a few.
Here’s some of their equipment.
I spoke with the rep at Main Road. He claims all their brines will wash off with fresh water, so no luck there. I also spoke with a guy who runs one of the detail shops in town and he confirms that all these brines come off with water.
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I don't believe that's road salt on your truck. Taste test! Don't let your neighbors catch you licking your truck. 
It could be quicklime contamination. It's used in construction and could have ended up on a road. It's very corrosive and would surely etch paint.
If it's mineral deposits like lime, you might try a weak acid like vinegar on an inconspicuous area. Try not to scrub that to avoid more paint damage, apply to a paper towel and slap it on to soak. A drop of detergent in the vinegar will help it wet the area.
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Yes, they have to be water soluble... the whole point of them is to dissolve in the snow/ice to make *salt*water with a lower freezing point.
Salt Away or Salt Eliminator is what I use on my boat and outboard. Check with marine supply stores or Amazon.
